Winter Minestrone

Here is another great soup recipe from the new Moosewood cookbook. It was
a little too spicy for me, but it was just right for my husband. The
original used oil and I used red wine, as usual. I was talking on the
phone while cutting the veggies and just guessed at the correct amounts.

Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special has a minestrone for each season, and I
intend to make each as the appropriate season rolls around.

Bursting with a multitude of naturally sweet root vegetables and bolstered
by red and/or white beans, this hefty soup makes a meal for 6 to 8
people--and you may have leftovers. It is, as with many soups, thicker and
even more delicious the second day. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of water before
reheating, if you want a brothier soup.

White and red kidneys are both fine, and if you prefer to substitute
another type of bean, go right ahead.

In a large nonreactive soup pot, saute the onions, garlic, and celery in
red wine on low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the salt, carrots, parsnips,
and chopped fennel, and then cover and continue to cook for 10 minutes,
stirring frequently.

Add the sweet potatoes, ground fennel, oregano, red pepper flakes, and
rosemary and simmer for about 5 minutes. (If the vegetables stick or begin
to brown, add a splash of water.) Add the tomatoes, water, and, if using,
the wine. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Add the beans and
parsley and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve plain or topped with grated
Parmesan cheese.